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Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

By: Gene Beresin MD MA and Khadijah Booth Watkins MD MPH
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"Shrinking It Down" highlights the fact that youth mental health is anything but simple! Child & adolescent psychiatrists Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins help parents and other caring adults to navigate tough questions about child and teen mental health. From depression and learning disorders, to digital media and societal concerns, Shrinking It Down covers it all.


Tune in the THIRD Thursday of every month. Subscribe wherever you stream.


About Us: The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital is a multi-media educational resource to help adults support the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of young people through innovative education. Visit us online at mghclaycenter.org.


This podcast is for educational purposes only. The Clay Center does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any health-related questions you may have.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All rights reserved Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Anxiety in the Family: Helping One Child Without Leaving Others Behind

    Anxiety in the Family: Helping One Child Without Leaving Others Behind
    Dec 18 2025

    In this special episode of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah explore how parents can talk openly with children about a sibling’s anxiety. Joined by co-founder of InStride Health, Dr. Kat Boger, they discuss age-appropriate explanations, reducing stigma, supporting siblings’ emotional needs, and avoiding unhelpful family accommodations. They offer practical, compassionate guidance for helping the whole family build resilience together. Tune in for important and practical advice on supporting your child with anxiety!


    Media List
    • About (InStride Health)
    • Anxiety Disorders (MGH Clay Center)
    • Talking to Kids About a Sibling's Mental Illness (MGH Clay Center)
    • Growing Up With a Sibling With a Disability (MGH Clay Center)
    • No Kings


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    42 mins
  • Finding Gratitude in a Time of Fear, Anger, and Uncertainty

    Finding Gratitude in a Time of Fear, Anger, and Uncertainty
    Nov 20 2025

    Thanksgiving is approaching fast; a time of gratitude, reflection, and gathering. But this year feels different. With fear, anger, and uncertainty dominating our world, it’s hard to ask: How are we supposed to give thanks right now?

    In this holiday episode of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah discuss the importance of staying grateful when the world feels chaotic. They talk about the benefits of gratitude on well-being and resilience and the importance of community, learning from the past, and respecting different viewpoints. Tune in for strategies to help your family build gratitude this holiday season through open conversations, stories, and creative expression!


    Media List
    • Illuminated Collage (MGH Clay Center)
    • Conflict Resolution Course (MGH Clay Center)
    • The Art of Civil Conversations: 9 Parent Strategies (MGH Clay Center)
    • Five Parenting Tips for Civility and Coping With the Political Climate (MGH Clay Center)

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    25 mins
  • Exploring the World of AI Therapy

    Exploring the World of AI Therapy
    Oct 16 2025

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is slowly becoming a major part of our society. Everday more and more people begin to rely on AI for a variety of tasks in their daily routines. While most people use AI for innocuous reasons such as answering basic questions like a search engine would, today we’re here to discuss one of the more harmful uses of AI: AI therapy chatbots aimed at our youths. In this episode of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah are joined by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andy Clark to discuss the growing role of AI chatbots in mental health support. From lacking empathy and clinical judgement to dangerously endorsing harmful behaviors, we explore the promises and pitfalls of AI Therapy for our young people. Tune in to learn more!


    Media List:
    • Andrew Clark, M.D.
    • The Risks of Kids Getting AI Therapy from a Chatbot (TIME)
    • Adventures in AI Therapy: A Child Psychiatrist Goes Undercover (MGH Clay Center)
    • The Ability of AI Therapy Bots to Set Limits With Distressed Adolescents: Simulation-Based Comparison Study (PubMed)
    • Harry Harlow Monkey Experiments (Simply Psychology)
    • Illinois Bans AI Therapy (National Law Review)
    • The Rithm Project


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    40 mins
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